Still think Obama can't stand up to Repuke attacks in the general?

[smoogatz]

If he proved anything in SC, it's that he's an adept counter-puncher. I personally feel much better about him as a candidate after his SC performance. Thoughts?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. What impressed me was the organization at the polls

making sure there was no voter intimidation. We need to have this organization in place throughout the country for the GE (no matter who is our eventual nominee).

[neutron]

6. His debate performance was GHASTLY

He must have embarassed everyone in the room by starting with a
dumb attack - on Dr. Martini Luthor King's birthday.

He only won SC because blacks voted as a block.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

7. Is that the same reason he won in Iowa? Because "blacks voted as a block"?

[sniffa]

14. Martini Luthor King should have a holiday for him

[lastliberalintexas]

17. That'd be one hell of a holiday

Smirnoff's lobbyists need to get working on that.

[toadzilla]

26. ...

:spray:

[LeftyMom]

20. Doctor what?

[babylonsister]

2. I think he'll do just fine against Romney or McCain, or any of 'em.

The economy is a big issue, but his being anti-war is a huge factor, too.

[featherman]

3. That's one (more) reason we have primary campaigns

Who can connect with voters, who can take incoming fire, who can counter-punch effectively, etc.

[russian33]

4. if he thinks what he was getting from Clinton camp were "attacks"...

...he's more naive than i thought...this was nothing, especially compared to what GOP will throw at him

[neutron]

9. The Clinton "attacks" were media hype

Olberman pounded "Fairy Tale" for days.
Then Abrams played the entire speech, it was shocking.
It was totally innocuous.

The Clintons are being Swiftboated by CNN and MSNBC.

[lastliberalintexas]

16. Seriously

Whether one supports Clinton or not (I do not), to think that the right wing will not be 10X as brutal, not to mention dishonest, slanderous and underhanded, is ridiculous. A campaign against the nastiest of Dems is still a walk in the partk comparatively.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

5. And he counter-punches in style.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

[neutron]

11. All I remember was "Boo Hoo The Clintons are picking on me."

[Maven]

8. No, I don't.

I don't think he showed himself adept at counterattacks. His debate performance was pretty weak actually. I think the media helped perpetuate the notion that the Clintons were "injecting race" while also playing down Edwards' excellent performance by treating him as irrelevant.

[Carrieyazel]

10. NO. It's a totally different electorate. Not just Dems and Dem leaning Indeps

And a totally different thing entirely than winning a primary. He's trying to do something here that's never been done. Go into the White House as a member of a racial minority. The "first" nominee always loses the first time.

[Beaverhausen]

12. I think they will throw a lot more ugly shit at him in the general

than what he faced in SC. If he is indeed the nominee, I do hope he can stand up to it, but don't kid yourself that it won't get far nastier when the repukes have their turn.

[More Than A Feeling]

13. Hillary's like a vaccine.

She's a a slightly weakened version of the attacks against him (because she's a fellow Democrat) innoculating him for the stronger attacks in the general, if he is the nominee (Go John Edwards!).

Alternatively, if the Republicans hang back because they've seen how badly attacks backfire, then they've lost their two biggest weapons (more money and hateful attacks). They don't have a third weapon.

[livetohike]

15. Yes he can and will and he will do it eloquently

and if he wins the Dem. nomination then we won't have to listen to the same old-same old Clinton accusations from the Republicans and there are many of those.

[LSdemocrat]

18. Claiming attacks are "unfair" may work in a Dem primary, but sounds like Kerry and Dukakis in the GE

If anything, dealing with the Republican machine over the past 20 years has taught us anything, it is that you must fight fire with fire and be more than willing to start some firefights of your own in order to beat the Republicans in a general election.

[bluedog]

19. he'll never handle the GOP attacks

he or his team will be on all the networks and moaning and boo hooing 24/7 about being picked on........wait for it..its coming

[sniffa]

21. It'll be almost as bad as the whiney, crybaby Clintons.

No fucking spines.

[Maven]

24. I watched a stump speech he gave in SC the day before the primary

The whole thing was, "you know what we're up against. You can't let them do it to us. You just can't let them do it."

He almost sounded paranoid.

[The_Casual_Observer]

22. I'd wait until we find out what the attacks are.

I don't know about you, but I was caught off guard by the Swiftboat thing. Not that I didn't think there was weakness to exploit, but that it would be so successful.

[smoogatz]

25. It was a classic Karl Rove move: hit them in their perceived strengths.

If you can undermine Kerry's war hero stature, you undermine his credibility across the board. It had the added effect of opening up the old vietnam era divisions again: always a plus for Republicans. Whatever Obama's perceived strengths are, that's what they'll attack. From what angle is anybody's guess, of course, but I think running against the Clintons is providing some interesting clues.

[FrenchieCat]

23. Of course, Obama will do fine.....

And those who underestimate him, will do so at your own peril, like the Clintons did.

Obama is no lightweight.....which is what Bill just found out.